Costume Party
by Kuroi Neko-kun
Summary: Valera’s having a party and two CSIs can’t excuse themselves out of it.


**Costume Party**

**By: Kuroi Neko-kun**

Summary: Valera's having a party and two CSIs can't excuse themselves out of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own them. Watch my tears fall down my face as I say that.

Warning: Um… um… Prone to be slightly OOC? (Muse: Slightly?)

A/N: Well, I wanted this to happen on Halloween but my muse went to its _own_ costume party and left little old me behind.

**&&&**

The invitation was almost slapped onto his face. He took it, read it and frowned. Apparently, he wasn't a big fan of parties. Okay, no. That was a lie. He was a fan of parties but this particular one was just...

"A costume party?" he asked, raising an eyebrow," Val, I thought Halloween was over."

"I missed the Halloween party because of that stupid seminar I was on in Hawaii," the DNA lab technician pointed out," I heard your costume was killer."

"And I only show off this side of me once a year. Hence, the annual Halloween party," he said.

"Come on, Tim! For me?" she said, adding the childish pout at the end," Please?" Speed looked at her before sighing. He had to search for the immunity to 'googly' eyes.

"Okay, I'll go but you're going to keep my attendance a complete secret, okay? Or I won't go."

"Why?" Valera asked. Speed smirked.

"The King of Costumes is always flocked with questions. It's tiring," he said, smirking.

"Fine, I won't tell, oh great one," she said," By the way, what costume should I go with, great master? Shower me with your wisdom." Speed gave her a look before sighing.

"No fairies, angels, princesses or vampires," he said," it's too cliché. Try dressing up as something no one would expect. This year I went as Edgar Allan Poe."

"Cool. No wonder you won," she said.

"A little secret is to look at the thrift stores. There's always something you can dress up as there," he added before leaving the DNA lab tech to her thoughts.

**&&&**

H looked at the invitation, then to the grinning lab tech, then back to the invitation. He looked at Valera who was now grinning so much, he was afraid the lab tech would split her head open if she went further.

"I'm not a fan of costume parties," he stated.

"Oh come on, boss!" she said," You have to go!! It's not going to be fun without you!! Eric, Alexx and Calleigh are going. I invited Tre, Laura, Sam, Tyler… And Tripp said he'd come with his wife!!! And Yelina's coming too!!" Horatio had found that the lab tech's voice could be really loud if she wanted to be and he wasn't enjoying it.

"Yelina's going?" he asked again. She nodded.

"Oooh!! You guys can go together!!"

"Valera, as much as I appreciate your… enthusiasm, can you try not to scream in my ear?" Valera gave him an apologetic smile. "I'll go, on the accounts that my sister-in-law will need someone to accompany her." Unable to resist her urge, she jumped and hugged him.

"Thank you!" Horatio just hugged back and wondered where this was heading.

**&&&**

The buzz of the party became stronger as the day (or night to be precise) came closer. On the day itself, the DNA lab tech and host took the day off as she prepared for the party. Speed had asked days before if she had her costume ready. She nodded, hitting her idea off a thrift store. She asked him secretly to what his costume is. He shrugged. The truth was he didn't know what to dress up as. He had no idea. He contemplated whether of not going when his cell phone beeped a message.

_HC: DB._

He looked at the message before performing a double take. _Ladies and gentlemen, the King has a costume. _(A/N: Okay, spend five minutes to guess Speed's costume. No cheating!)

**&&&**

Party time! Or so it would be as Valera opened the door to her guests.

"Wow, Valera… What are you wearing?" Eric asked as he examined the lab tech from top to bottom. Valera smiled before looking at his costume.

"Van Helsing?" she pointed at his costume.

"The one and only. I couldn't get Calleigh to dress up as Kate Beckinsale's character though," Eric said, pouting.

"I told you that I wanted to dress up as something else that doesn't involve vampires," she said," Or vampire slayers." She added the last one as Eric opened his mouth to protest. "I absolutely love your costume!"

"I love yours too," Valera said adding an accent as she said the next line," Sandy." Calleigh sighed.

"And I thought I could fool you," she said, prancing her fifties dress to show it off," The strange thing is I found this number in my aunt's closet."

**&&&**

Eric and Calleigh joined Alexx, who was dressed as a nurse. Eric joked about taking her costumes outside the bedroom would be a bad idea. She coolly retorted with a shot that the leather pants only belonged to Hugh Jackman and he couldn't pull it off as well as the gorgeous man could.

"Look at you three." They looked up to see Tripp and his wife.

"Frank…" Eric started his jaw dropping.

"I know, it's not my style. But Paula said if I was going to a costume party, I'd need to wear a costume," he said, slightly embarrassed. The detective was dressed in jeans, a checkered shirt, the sleeves ripped out with the top two buttons open showing off some of the man's chest and a black cap, worn backwards, that had 'Fix' emblazoned in white. A utility belt hung from his hip and Frank insisted it was his (he also insisted that he was not planning to fix anything and if Delko wouldn't stop laughing, he would nail the vampire slayer into a wall). Paula Tripp was dressed in a firewoman costume, the sexy kind. Eric's joke was cut short by a shove of elbow in the ribs, courtesy of 'Sandy'.

"What I don't get is," Frank said," She got to rent her costume and I get to rip my favorite shirt's sleeves off."

"Well, Frank. It's a good look on you." They turned to source of the voice. Horatio was greeted with the blinks from his colleagues.

"Uh… thanks, H," Frank said blankly.

"What?" he said in a confused tone.

"You came?" Eric and Calleigh asked in unison.

"What are you wearing?" Alexx asked, obviously liking it. Horatio pulled at his jacket's lapel, looking very uncomfortable at the unbelieving stares.

"Would you believe that he wanted to come in a shirt and pants?" Yelina cut in, dressed as a belly dancer," I had to look through his closet to finally make this look." More blinks.

"This came from his closet?" Calleigh voiced out. Yelina nodded. "Even the earrings?" She nearly squeaked the last word out.

"Horatio was a bad, bad boy once," the Latina quipped. Horatio's getup (sponsored by him) was a black leather pants and a black v-neck tee shirt, covered with a black leather shirt that had so many pockets, it could fit all the CSI tools and squeeze in some more. His feet were coveted with a pair of boots that didn't belong to him (Yelina dug it from Eric locker with the Cuban's permission). On one ear lobe, a piercing of a scorpion hung from his ear. His eyes were covered by Yelina's red shades. Hs hair was messed slightly to make the look. The clothes were worn in a subtle fashion that it didn't scream biker, but…

"Did anyone else notice that H had pierced his ears?" Eric asked.

"I did," came a voice from behind them. Speed grinned at them as he held Valera with one hand. "Um, Bono," he said to Horatio," U2 is on tour in Europe." The remark earned non-laughs. It wasn't that it wasn't funny but everyone was gaping (yes, even Horatio) at his costume. The redhead was the first to recover.

"What…" H said.

"… the hell…" escaped Tripp's mouth. Alexx smiled.

"Looks like you won again, Timmy," she said," You even beat Horatio in leather and as Bono too." Speed looked around and shrugged.

"You can stop gaping now," he muttered.

"But you're dressed as…" Calleigh mumbled. The CSI's hair wasn't the usual mess but it was parted nicely to the side and dyed a nice tinge of red. His brown eyes were hidden behind blue contacts. He sported a pair of grey slacks and a green shirt, coveted with a matching grey sports coat. A pair of sunglasses hung on his shirt button.

"Where did you get the coat?" Eric asked.

"This? Its H's," he answered," The one he lent me when I needed to go to court in rush."

"The one I told you to return to me once you were done?" Horatio said, looking at the CSI from behind his red shades. Speed only mimicked his actions. Finally, the group laughed at his antics.

"Only you would have the guts to dress as me," the redhead said, patting his back.

"But you pull Bono very well," Speed complimented," I wouldn't mind coming to work if you look like me though." Horatio gave him a look that told him that it won't come anytime soon.

**&&&**

Valera pulled Speed to the side, wanting to talk to her costume mentor for awhile now.

"You are unbelievable," she said," I mean what are the odds of you as Horatio Caine." Speed smirked before shaking his head.

"Truthfully, I love yours. I think it's the best." Valera grinned. "Is it called 'Lab tech of hell' by any chance?"

"No, 'Abby Sciuto'," she said. Speed gave her a look etched with confusion.

"Who?"

"She's a lab technician in NCIS and a good friend of mine. I was walking by a thrift store like you said and I found this top." She pointed to her top which was a black turtleneck with metal rings hanging out of the neck and the hem of the top. "And I was like 'That is so Abby', then it hit me. The rest is the lab coat that I accidentally washed with black dye and the pants Abby gave me for Christmas. I only had to buy the top and black dye for my hair," she explained, grinning, "I already have the makeup and the extra accessories."

"So this Abby is a real person?" Valera nodded. "She may not be Edgar Allan Poe but she's cool."

"She's a great inspiration."

**&&&**

**Fin**

**&&&**

Speed as H. Could you imagine? And yeah… I thought Abby from NCIS is cool so that's why I added that part in. Hope you liked it. I liked writing it.


End file.
